About Julia

Dr Julia Buxton Ph.D is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bradford. Julia’s Ph.D ‘The Crisis of the Venezuelan Party System’ was completed at the LSE and Julia has since authored ‘The Political Economy of Narcotics: Production, Consumption and Global Markets’ (Zed Books 2006). Julia is very active in national and international conferences. Julia is editor of ‘The Politics of Drugs’ (Routledge 2010). See Julia Buxton FEAD documents for further information. Julia has published extensively in this area and a selected list of her publications can be found here.

Videos by Julia

Julia says that she feels we are ‘saddled’ with prohibition. She believes that we need to move away from the UNODC structures which seat drugs together with crime. She argues the future should seek to deal with drug use as a health and development issue.

Julia describes how the United Nations Office on Drug Control alignment with US prohibition strategies. She looks at the contrasting views of Doctors, academics and public health. As a result Latin America has established a committee which pressures UNODC for change.

Julia talks about paraquat, Reagan’s Project ‘Intercept’ and the displacement of trafficking routes. Julia explains that hypocrisy related to cocaine deals is an established problem for the war on drugs.

Julia describes how racist and anti immigrant propaganda became linked to reinforcing of messages on drug use. She describes the expansion of the legislation to include a range of drugs, and the growth of issues of drugs and criminality.

Julia talks about beginnings of the Shanghai alliance between China and America. China formed a pragmatic alliance with the US and partners to restrict opium production. Self medication with opium was no longer seen as acceptable. Drugs became a moral issue for the US.

Julia talks about the history of the UK involvement with the Indian opium trade and how it differs from the US. She describes the way the United States history differs and its relationship to the prohibition of alcohol.

Welcome to Lifeline and FEAD (Film Exchange on Alcohol and Drugs). This project has been shaped by the wealth of experience, openness, and knowledge of the contributors. You are invited to comment on the clips, which are supported by footnotes to which you can add. FEAD is an ongoing Lifeline Project initiative.

Lifeline Project: In 1971 the Lifeline Project opened a day centre for drug users in Manchester. Since its foundation Lifeline has grown and developed, and now works in a diverse range of settings across the UK. Our purpose is to relieve poverty, sickness and distress among those persons affected by addiction to drugs of any kind, and to educate the public on matters relating to drug misuse.